George Lee

The former Fine Gael TD and returning RTE journalist was ubiquitous in the Sunday papers, even though it has been almost a week since he announced his departure from politics.

Aside from the analysis of the fallout for the political system – a topic that every pundit seems to have a view on ad nauseum – there are a few attempts to try to report on the substance of George Economics.

The Sunday Independent and The Sunday Tribune report that Lee wants to ditch the euro, slash corporation tax and ignore the EU’s 2014 deadline for putting the public finances back in order. These views would have found little favour with Fine Gael, which appears to be largely at one with the Government when it comes to these issues.

“If Fine Gael gets elected it is going to be the same policies,” Lee said. “Richard Bruton is saying what the others are saying. The Labour Party does the same. Where is the debate? There are all afraid to stand up and they do not have the confidence.”

Others are already turning their attention to what’s next for the former RTE economic mouthpiece.

Under the terms of his contract, Lee can be back in RTE in May and this could coincide with the return of Lonesome Charlie Bird.

“That opens up the unattractive possibility – from a licence payers’ and a news department’s perspective – of two highly-paid senior news correspondents languishing in Donnybrook for the summer with no obvious jobs to fill,” writes Catherine O’Mahony in the Sunday Business Post.